Monday, May 16, 2011

I am always on the hunt for a reasonably priced blended scotch. Cutty Sark occupies a spot on the shelves of liquor stores around the world that is devoted to 'economy blends.' In other words, bottom shelf scotch.

We know some of the suspects occupying space on the bottom shelf are bad characters . . . Ballantine's Finest, J&B and Bell's. Horribly sweet swill suitable only for lighting your hibachi barbecue!

You also know that there are some great economy blends: Teacher's Highland Cream, Black Bottle, Islay Mist, White Horse and a few others. The question for us to consider today is what camp does 'Cutty Sark' fall into? The Good? The Bad? or the Ugly? Inquiring minds want to know. C'mon, let's see what it's like . . .

Finish (undiluted)
The vanilla sweetness becoming more of a gently spiced malt. Warming too. You are also left with a teensy weensy puff of smoke. The finish is very short (meaning the flavors do not linger very long) and so I suppose the serious whisky critic would take some points off for that attribute of this whisky. I am willing to overlook that small deficiency in light of the cheap price for a bottle.

General Impressions
I am quite surprised by this blend. I like it! It is not the best of the economy blended scotch whisky category. However, Cutty Sark is a good, everyday sipper that meets the basic needs of decent scotch. What are those basic requirements? They are: (1) no nasty bite; (2) no taste of unadulterated rubbing alcohol; (3) not bitter, and (4) not grainy.

What is worthy of note is how it is so sweet, yet not cloyingly so. Cloying sweetness is the failure of many economy blended scotch whiskies like Ballantine's Finest, J & B and Bells. To succeed, a blend has to do something with the sweetness and Cutty Sark has managed just that. Sweetness has to go somewhere. It cannot build indefinitely, otherwise it will become overwhelming by the finish.

Cutty Sark, by the time of the finish, transitions to lemons! Lemons as in lemon meringue pie. There's a puff of smoke too. Real pleasant and very quaffable. The bottle just disappears because it is so easy-drinking.

If I were to summarize the Cutty Sark flavor profile in a brief line, something that would be acceptable to Twitter (I don't have an account . . . probably like the only living soul on the planet) I would say: "a sweet, light malt experience, serving up fruit cocktail, with a finish of drying vanilla and lemon with just a touch of smoke."
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Cutty Sark on ice!

Cutty Sark on Ice?
I don't recommend it.

If you are just putting your little toe in the lake of scotch whisky, I can understand your preference to add ice to blended scotch whisky. You want your whisky to be smooth, avoid that bite, and certainly tone down the graininess and alcohol taste that is typical of many bottom shelf blended scotch whiskies. Cutty Sark is one of those blends that actually does not need ice added to it for the scotch newbie. It is smooth enough, gentle enough, that you can sip neat. Yeah, newbie, neat. I said neat. You can do it. Just take a little sip and evaluate it. If there was ever a blended scotch whisky to cut your teeth on for the purpose of sipping neat, this is the one!

I find for the serious whisky fan, adding ice will add no benefit to the tasting experience. Ice tends to bring out a raw alcohol and grainy flavor that is not present when enjoyed neat. Ice? Like the Reagan era public advertisement on drugs: "Just say no!"

Value for Money?
Absolutely! A lot of the reviews online, I am told by readers, are negative on Cutty Sark. You know what? I don't care what they think. I happen to like Cutty, but you have to appreciate that a lot of my appreciation has to do with the price point. I am getting great value for money. Some reviewers online tear this blended scotch apart, but are their comments fair? To be fair, please compare apples to apples. To compare Cutty Sark to a single malt and say it misses the mark is like saying a Mercedes handles the road better than a Hyundai. That's not rocket science! When I compare Cutty Sark to other bottom shelf blends in its price point, I am mightily satisfied that I am getting good value for money.

I do not care what the critics think of my affection for Cutty Sark! I like it. It is a simple, straight forward blend that delivers a pleasant lemon/marmalade flavor at a reasoable price that I have no reservation with shelling out for as I sail around the lake this summer.

70 comments:

I have to admit, I am a wee bit surprised that you marked this one positively. I will also admit, I have never tried a dram, as I have been swayed by legions of negative comments who would echo words of paper-thin flavor and such, and also that a bottle by me runs around $22-25. For less I could pick up a bottle of Teacher's, Black Bottle, Islay Mist 8,save for a single malt, or perhaps a quality bourbon. I might feel the urge to experiment with this blend now, as your tasting notes sound rather nice. Cheers, bud!-Yochanan

Yochanan, I am surprised that I like Cutty Sark. I know that all the critics rip this blend to shreds. However, I think that just because a whisky is light or even thin, does not necessarily mean it is horribly flawed.

There is no doubt that Cutty Sark is light tasting, but for me it works. Very light, quite malty and lemony that works. You have to remember this is in the economy blend area of the market place. Sometimes too, I tire of the heavy flavors of the likes of Teachers and others. In any case, all I can say, is give this a go sometime with an open mind. You might surprise yourself too!

Just bought my first bottle of Cutty, after a bout of wondering if I should follow through with the experiment, or just purchase a blend I'm familiar with, or perhaps a single malt. I must say, in the category of economy blended Scotch, this isn't bad.

I don't know if it's the power of persuasion, but I get some of the notes you picked up yourself. I think I'm also getting some pepper on the finish- which lends itself alright with everything else going on. No peat to speak of. I'd recommend this to the newbie as an intro. Not bad.

Well, Yochanan, you and I are about the only two people on the world wide web that seem to think this is a decent economy blended scotch. Everyone seems to pan it as being terrible. Not terrible. Quite quaffable, and as you say, a great starting place for the scotch newbie!

Jason,As much as I respect your opinion and knowledge about whisky I think I am going to steer clear of Cutty Sark. Not for the fear of being ridiculed by scotch nerds. My concern is the sweetness. I was told that this blend is a really sweet one, and I cannot stand sweet blends unless it is balanced and not over the top. From my experience sweetness in blends and single malts alike only means one thing... hiding the flaws in a malt/blend (irons out the wrinkles if you will). Teacher's is as cheap as I am willing to go, thats only because you spoke highly of it and a few others as well. Do you know which single malts are used in Cutty Sark by the way?

Cutty Sark is a guilty pleasure of mine. Its super cheap and just a sweet little malt when you just want a little scotch taste but dont want to be distracted from conversation with friends of meandering around the bay in your tiny sail boat.

That being said, I doubt you would like it. Matter of fact, most serious scotch fans would not like it.

As for Teachers, buddy, its gonna blow you away, and I expect to hear from you what you think!

I have to say when I first read this review last year I thought you had gone off the deep end - I had this once at a bar (not on a clean palate) and found it sweet and bland. But I recently saw it on sale for $15 in PA ($20 here in NC) and decided to give it another try.

I am surprised to say I agree with you that although there is nothing very interesting about it, there is nothing objectionable either. I would call it the Glenlivet 12 of inexpensive blends.

That said I doubt I will buy it again, as I can get Teacher's or White Horse for the same money - but I don't regret having tried it, as I do J+B rare.

I'm a fan of Cutty in the market it is aiming for, of course I prefer Teachers, but it is a 50% premium over Cutty at my local Total Wine. $22.99 for Cutty Sark, $33.99 for Teachers Highland Cream. I usually buy one of each

I am a hardcore Scotch guy, but last month I bought a Cutty Sark 1.75 l. bottle from a Safeway store, and to my surprise the flavor and texture were awful, the colour of the spirit too was lighter, this left me wondering if I got a fake cutty sark deal, how do I find out???

Sam, I do not know where you live, but if you are in North America or Europe, you likely bought a "flawed" bottle rather than a fake or counterfeit bottle.

From what I understand, counterfeit bottles tend to appear in China, Hong Kong and India. Usually the labelling is a dead give away with typographical errors.

If you are not in Asia, you may have gotten a flawed bottle. What I mean by "flawed" is maybe the bottle underwent severe heat or cold temperatures that adversely affected it. That could have happened in transport. My brother gave me a bottle of Royal Salute 21 yr blend. I tasted it and damn, it was poor. Bad. Later I found out from him that it sat in a liquor store on top of a refrigerator and in direct sunlight. Well, it got heated and damaged in my opinion. It was bad, the flavors were off big time.

If you are very familiar with Cutty Sark and you are of the opinion that you got a 'bad' bottle, then what you should do is walk that bottle back to the store and tell them you want to exchange it for another bottle of Cutty. Most reputable retailers will not object because they take your bottle and hand it back to their sales rep and demand a credit, and get it!

A friend of mine gave me a headsup that CVS had this Scotch discounted over 50% off at less than $10/bottle. I picked up a bottle today and am enjoying some Cutty Sark right now, and it's delightful. Enjoyed the review.

I bought a bottle yesterday because of this review and I needed a cheap blend to drink over ice since I can't do a single malt that way, but sometimes I really gotta have a drink on rocks. Yes with ice it gets kind of spoiled and grainy tasting, but you are totally right about the sweetness giving way to lemons, and it is quite nice. I tried it neat as well, and the lemons really are present and in a good way. The smoke you speak of was nowhere to be found for me, but I found it decent for the price. I won't buy it again, but it is a bottle I can get through and be satisfied. UNlike Dewars White, or JW Red, or White Horse, all of which either start off disgusting (dewars, JW Red) or get more and more foul after the first sip (white horse).

Thanks! Appreciate you peeping the blog. I update it very rarely, as I am super busy and more have it there as a free space for critique and dialogue. I have my next entry planned and it is going to have something to do with Quentin Tarantino. Anyway, have yet to try Chivas 12. Really want to but it's hard for me to fork over the dough for blends in the JW Black and Chivas range when for the same amount I can sample so many interesting single malts that I've been wanting to try for a long time. I might make an exception here though given that I've been in an ice mood and you've suggested it. It keeps coming back to NYC booze prices though. Sucks.

Chivas regal was a poor struggling company until they thought of the brilliant idea of making their "whiskey" poo poo look like it was better than it was. I'll go cutty vs. chigal any day. Get some glefiddich that's where it's at.

Unfortunately your bottle has no collectible value. If I were you I would buy a new bottle of Cutty Sark, and then open your oldie, and try them side by side in comparison. Might interesting to see how the flavor profile may have changed since 1980.

There is an interesting history behind Cutty Sark. Wine merchants Berry Bros. & Rudd, wanted to develop a whisky that would appeal to their wine drinking customers palate in the US. They were also looking for something "different" than the traditional Scotch whisky, so as to distinguish it from the competition. They came up with a lighter style whisky by blending certain selects. Hence, lighter in style, flavors, and color. It was bottled pale so the caramel colors wouldn't mask the lighter subtle flavors. So, it was never designed to be a true "Scotch" whisky.

Also, keep in mind that this all occurred during or about the prohibition in the US. Cutty Sark became famous as a bootlegged liquor, smuggled by a Captain McCoy out of the bahaman islands. This gave rise to the expression "the Real McCoy."

This is why we drink Cutty Sark, BECAUSE it is different and special. And also to connect with out prohibition era bootlegging past. Kind of fun!

Not a big whiskey fan. Was going to get jameson but didn't like the price. I got the cutty sark. I like it a lot. No nasty bite. Great aroma. I am considering trying some of these others in your review.

Once again you are right on the mark! Cutty Sark is a very enjoyable scotch, despite its bargain price, not because of it.

I recently gave a bottle to my brother -- a bit of a scotch aficionado -- and on first tasting we both said: Weird, this tastes like a lighter version of Glenrothes!

Since (as you say) inquiring minds want to know, it took only a few seconds on Google to find out that, mirabile dictu, Glenrothes is a component of this very enjoyable blend.

The main, or perhaps only, quality that is missing is a longer finish. It just disappears, not even fleetingly, but suddenly.

But until that moment of rather rapid evanescence, it is quite satisfactory, and well worth the few dollars you paid to the nice gentleman at the corner store since you didn't take the time to go to a decent liquor store to buy your brother something more "respectable"!

Thanks for your review. This will always be superior to Teacher's in my opinion. Cutty Sark has a lighter finish and is easier to drink than Teacher's (I only drink neat). With Teacher's, the next morning, you feel like death. Not so with Cutty Sark.

I'm with you. I like Teachers but I prefer the Cutty. I've been drinking scotch for years and regard myself as a fussy whisky drinker and I keep coming back to the Cutty when I want something easy drinking. Love that vanilla and citrus thing it has going on.

I'm in Sitka, AK. I was in the mood for a reasonably priced sipping scotch, and after seeing your review on the Cutty Sark, I decided to get a bottle. My selection it's limited on economy blends, but I was not disappointed. I would like to thank you for your review and recommendation.

Nice review. I feel much the same. There are certainly better blends out there, but it's a decent drink at a fair price. It's worth noting that Cutty Black, one of Cutty's premium blends, is a lovely treat in the economy range. It has more pronounced peatiness than Cutty Sark; more nut taste and even some fruit. Definitely less aggressive than some of the cheaper blends. I haven't tried Teachers but at the moment, Cutty Black is my go-to blend. btw, a scotch (and cigar) loving friend of mine just moved to NB. Maybe he should give you a call ;)

Hi Jason, I think you nailed it quite well. I'm a Bourbon drinker really, and rarely drink Scotch, and when I do, it's Macallan's 18 yr old and other good stuff (I'm not a fan of peaty spirits). I got a bottle of CS as a gift, and am drinking the last of it now to make room in my liquor cabinet, really. I've been to the CS website and read it all, and it's apparent that the regular, "lower shelf" blend is for cocktails. Nonetheless, I've just had 2 glasses on the rocks, and find it pleasant and inoffensive, with the flavor notes you have so acutely mentioned. I've seen the other blogs or website that lambast it, and like you, I think they have missed the mark. I don't know what CS costs and I'm sure it's 1/5 of what Macallan's 18 yr old costs (I live in NYC, USA), but "it ain't bad" at all, and is rather pleasing. I have a unopened bottle of Chivas Regal 18 yr old, and wonder how it will compare with CS or Macallan's 18 yr. old, and whether I will be a "convert" from Bourbon to Scotch. Any predictions?In any case, thanks for you blog. Cheers, from the sick, gun-loving land down below (more liquor, "herb" and no guns, I say, as an old hippie).NYC Woodstockian

I think you can continue to appreciate all the great bourbons available, but at the same time continue to broaden your palate with some choice single malts and premium blends like Chivas 18 and the single malt Cragganmore 12 years.

I strongly recommend that you try Cragganmore 12 years single malt. Hardly any peat, yet it delivers floral notes and a wonderful complexity as only single malt scotch can.

As for Chivas 18, it's also inoffensive and pleasant. But really, try Cragganmore, and I think it will open a whole new window on the whisky world for you.

I am from Quebec and our liquor board doesn't sell the Teacher's Highland Cream Scotch Whisky. I want to drink my blended scotch with ice, so despite your good comments on the Cutty Sark, I can't buy it. So, if I'm looking for a cheap blended scotch whisky available in Quebec and to drink it with ice, which ones should I buy among those: Grant's Family Reserve, Ballantine's Finest, Whyte and MacKay, St-Leger, Label 5, Grand MacNish, Dewar's white Label, Johnnie Walker's Red Label, Cattos's Scotch, J&B Rare and The Black Grouse? Those are the only cheap blended scotchs available in Quebec.

I would suggest you spend a little more and add two big ice cubes to a tumbler of Johnnie Walker Black 12yrs or Chivas 12yrs. It will make for a great drink. The Black Label is honey, cinnamon, with some smoke, while the Chivas is honeyed with some pepper and spice.

If those two suggestions are out of your price range, how about Grand MacNish. The only other one would be Black Grouse, but it is very peaty and smokey which you may not enjoy.

I find that Teacher's is quite a bit better. I tried Cutty for the first time the other day. I thought it was going to be quite a bit lighter than it was. It's not bad. I taste the smoke in it. It's very warming. It's OK and on par with Famous Grouse.

This by far is my favorite everyday scotch. It actually used to be Johnnie Red but I decided to change it up a bit after I had a convo with my mom about my grandfather. My grandfather (whom I never met and passed away even before my parents were married) used to drink this religiously so I wanted to see what it was about. Down here in NY, it is $31.99 USD for the 1.75 so it is very reasonable. (It used to be $28.99 just a month ago, but the price went up.) I think that may be because of the change in importers. It used be Berry Bros and come in a plastic bottle. Now it comes in a glass bottle and has a Facebook page. Is that worth the 10% increase? Def not, but it is good to see this brand getting some mainstream recognition. As mentioned by Jason, this really is a great, light flavored scotch, by design. It is great on the rocks and is rather refreshing considering it is a scotch. I agree that critics are too hard on this blend and that it should be in the 4 or 5 spot after Teacher's, Black Bottle and White Horse as great, mid ranged priced scotch.

Glad to see someone defending Cutty Sark on the internet! This is my go to cheap blend. When I drink Cutty Sark I think of the 1st episode of Mad Men where Don Draper exclaims, "It's toasted!!!". I associate the Cutty Sark taste with roasted corn. There are only a few whiskers that I feel are perfectly suited for an occasion. For me, Cutty Sark is the whiskey I would like to drink after escaping a drenching rain. The taste warms your soul. Cutty Sark is a unique whiskey that's a great deal for the price.

Having bought and tasted rather exquisite and expensive regional single malts, I didn't expect this to be a great bottle. First try ever tonight. At roughly 17 bucks a bottle, I find this quite a good buy and I will try to explain why I think that. Its an economy whiskey. Its simple and its cheap, it is also a rather well known old school mixer. Considering this, ones expectations should be pretty low from the get go. Having heard all the negative feedback, I was quite surprised. Sure, the flavors are quite weak, but its all there from start to finish, while most other bottles at this price and, god forbid, bourbon tend to be sickeningly sweet without much of a bouqette. Its quite floral, light, zesty with a touch of indian spices and pepper. There is a bit of peat going on at the end. It is undeniably simple, but refreshing. It is not trying to be something it is not, but rather attempting to do the best job in its niche. With cheaper bourbons you get the overpowering sweetness, with cheap blends you tend to get ONE strong note like cheap peat or zest or oak, or like in Jack Daniels case, super glue. Brrrr. I will have to disagree with the no ice statement, however. This feels like a summer drink and its a dram where I wouldn't feel bad in the slightest to drop an ice cube in my glass. Sure, it already tastes weak, but a drop of water opens it up a touch even in this case. Try it! I have to also mention, that pricing in the US is a bit wonky- in the UK or Europe for this price I would go for a tullamore dew or jamesons (yes, irish), but (and this is my wild guess) in america its cool being irish, the price goes up considerably and what is cheap, bottom shelf whisky- tullamore dew- is already a price point up from the cutty here in the states. Cutty it is then!

I've been drinking Cutty Sark since I was 18 years old. That was 45 years ago. I've tried almost every scotch on the market and I still prefer Cutty. It is great neat, on the rocks. and with a splash of soda, All my scotch snob friends always try to get me to change, I think most of them base there decision on the price of the bottle and not the actual scotch. My favorite Cutty cocktail is 2oz Cutty and 1 oz San Pellegrino or Perrier in a tall glass with ice, I can sip this all day and njght long, I have never had a headache or hangover in 45 years, Can't say that for some other cocktails.

I think your brand loyalty and admirable value for money considerations is generational. Your generation stuck to one or two brands. Lots of brand loyalty. My generation hop from one brand to another at ever increasing cost. Nevertheless, Cutty is a simple pleasure I wont be giving up.

Jason, I tried this scotch, and I think that it's far away the best I've tried for the price. I find it in my country for only $10 a bottle in a big liquor store. It's much better than Teacher's (the only other good cheap one). Unfortunately you can't find it in great supermarkets. And Johnny Red costs about $16 in the same liquor store. I don't know why Whisky is cheap here. For $32 you have a Chivas regal 12 y and for just $41 you can get the great Single malt Tomatin 12 y. It's glad to know that someone finds Cutty Sark so good for the price, but I evaluate this Whisky even better than you do.

Finally nice to see a whisky reviewer who has has taste preferences similar to mine :) A person who likes JW Red Label and Catty Sark is rarely to find among internet experts these days. Looks like this blog is must read for me now. Thanks for this place Jason, a lot of interesting info I have found here. Keep up the good work!

When my friends and I were in our early 20's, early 1960's, in Chicago, we drank Cutty Sark. As far as we were concerned it was THE Scotch to drink.....during the ensuing years we switched to single malt.....now that I'm at the age when one's stomach starts to complain.....had to give up single malt....tried all the various blends with ice and water...didn't care for any of them....until......one day I ran across a bottle of Cutty Sark.....liked it (again)....and thanks to your advice I like it even better since I stopped the ice and only use a little room temperature water....There you have it......started with Cutty Sark, going to end with Cutty Sark..... :)

I have a friend who for years couldn't tolerate Scotch or so he thought. It gave him discomfort and then he and i were sipping and he found what we were drinking did not bother him at all. I noticed a pattern. Blended whisky with its grain component bothered him, but single malts were most agreeable.

Hello Jason! Firstly, thanks for producing one of the most informative and entertaining liquor blogs in the whole Blog-o-verse. Secondly, have you tried Cutty Sark Prohibition? I'm about three-quarters through a bottle, and I still have no idea if I like it. It's strangely un-scotchlike... it actually reminds me of some of the rums in the Havana Club range, with the weird petrol notes. It's like Facundo Bacardi and Johnnie Walker decided to distill scotch in an old oil barrel. What did you think?